There is an underlying moral question here: Is there a right to shelter that outweighs a landlord's right to earn income from property that is surplus to his/her own housing needs? Some cities (New York is one of them) have housing areas that are rent-controlled. Government occasionally invests in 'affordable housing' in cities. There have been capitalist economists who argued that income from the lease of land should be taxed away in its entirety (Henry George, Silvio Gesell). Housing, like health care, is necessary for life and so there is a moral question whether it should be subject to the price system. Furthermore, the landlord whose tenants have stopped paying still owns the asset and can sell it to get rid of the mortgage. There are choices available to landlords that are not available to tenants